March 06, 2012, 2:27PM

s The Senate Education Committee approved legislation that would establish a 12-member House-Senate commission to develop a distribution formula for new state special education funding. The bill, sponsored by Sen. Pat Browne, R-Lehigh County, would direct the commission to establish a formula that separates special education students into three cost categories based on their need for services. More funds... Full story »

March 01, 2012, 1:20AM

Nancy Eshelman is at it again. Ms. Eshelman's column on Feb. 26, "Refusing to forgive or forget hurts employers and employees," is just another diatribe in which she proves to the rest of central Pennsylvania that she is out of touch with the readers of your paper. Contrary to Ms. Eshelman's radical views, Pennsylvania schools should not serve as rehabilitation... Full story »

March 03, 2011, 1:01AM

On Feb. 16, during the Senate Education Committee public hearing on Senate Bill 1 - The Opportunity Scholarship Act - the opponents of Senate Bill 1 repeated over and over that private schools are not accountable to anyone. That statement is misleading and inaccurate. The Pennsylvania Association of Independent Schools is a statewide membership association of 100 of the finest... Full story »

April 20, 2010, 3:43PM

The Senate Education Committee voted 10-1 to move Senate Bill 1192 that would strengthen the state's school accountability law to the full Senate for consideration. Among other things, the bill calls for creating a state-appointed board to oversee school districts, charter schools, cyberschools and comprehensive vo-tech schools that fail to meet performance targets for nine years or more. Currently,... Full story »

June 02, 2009, 12:09PM

Following some heated exchanges over the Rendell administration's awarding of a seven-year, $201 million contract to develop graduation tests and related materials, the Senate Education Committee voted 11-0 to put a halt to the testing initiative aimed at making high school diplomas more meaningful. The measure will move to the full Senate for a vote possibly as early as next... Full story »

April 27, 2009, 6:07PM

Your April 20 editorial on school violence was an accurate assessment of the fact that Pennsylvania must remain vigilant in its commitment to protect our children and their teachers from the violence and threats of violence that continue to be disruptive forces within our schools. I have the honor of serving as the majority chairman of the Senate Education Committee.... Full story »

April 22, 2009, 2:26PM

Groups representing educators, parents and students will begin next week to work toward arriving at a consensus on a proposed statewide graduation testing plan aimed at making a high school diploma more meaningful. The gathering, which will be private, is being organized by Senate Education Committee Chairman Jeffrey Piccola, R-Dauphin County. It was announced on Wednesday following the unveiling of... Full story »